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Rhino Pest Management — pest control on Florida's Treasure & Space Coast
Spiders & ScorpionsDangerous concern

Black Widow Spider

Latrodectus spp.

Venomous glossy-black spiders with a red hourglass, found in dark dry spaces.

Black Widow Spider (Latrodectus spp.) is a Florida pest we rate as a dangerous concern. Rhino Pest Management is a licensed (#JB242881) and insured spider control company serving Florida's Treasure & Space Coast, rated 5.0★ by 16 Google reviewers. The estimate is always free — (772) 589-6842.

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Photo: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons

How to identify it

Females are glossy jet-black, about 13 mm body, with a red hourglass on the underside of the abdomen. They build messy, strong, irregular webs low to the ground.

Where it hides

Undisturbed dark spaces: garages, sheds, under outdoor furniture, in woodpiles, meter boxes and irrigation valve boxes.

Signs you have them
  • Messy, very strong irregular webs in low corners
  • Spiders in garages, sheds, woodpiles and meter boxes
  • Round papery egg sacs in the web
Why it matters

A black widow bite injects a neurotoxin that can cause severe muscle pain, cramping, sweating and nausea, and is dangerous to children, the elderly and pets. Seek medical care for a bite.

Should I call today?

Yes — treat this as a priority. Black Widow Spider poses a real risk to people or pets, so don't try to handle it yourself: disturbing it is how most people get hurt. Keep everyone clear of the area and get a professional out to identify and remove it.

How Rhino treats it

Rhino de-webs and treats the harborage directly, then maintains an exterior barrier and reduces the insects widows feed on. Covered under our general pest plans.

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More spiders & scorpions

Brown Recluse Spider

Reclusive venomous brown spider with a violin mark behind the head.

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Florida Bark Scorpion

Slender dark scorpions that climb walls and hide in bark, wood and shoes.

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Brown Widow Spider

An invasive widow spider that has largely displaced the black widow across coastal Florida.

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Scientific source

For the biology behind this page, the University of Florida's IFAS Extension publishes a detailed Featured Creatures profile of this species — free to read, and written by entomologists in this state:

Southern Black Widow Latrodectus mactans (Fabricius) — UF/IFAS Extension
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